Code of Conduct

Jesus declared to his disciples, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21 ESV). There is an unbreakable relation between love and action. We endeavor to conduct ourselves in a manner that honors Christ and reveals
to the world that we love him.

All persons affiliated with Reach College have the responsibility to adhere to the Code of Conduct, not from a place of conforming to rules, but from a heart to worship God in spirit and in truth. Our conduct is a witness to others of the authenticity of our faith.

We Aim to Love God First

The heart of Christianity is walking in a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus
Christ and obedience to his word. We aim to prioritize God in everything, maintaining an
active, healthy relationship with him through prayer and Bible reading. We recognize that
conduct honoring to Christ necessarily flows from a healthy relationship with him.

We Embrace the Authority of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 reads, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Every Christian is learning the Scriptures and what it means to walk with Christ. We are committed to:

  • Reading the Scriptures with a commitment to its authority in our lives.
  • Reading the Scriptures with a heart to understand its meaning.
  • Reading the Scriptures with a commitment to obey its precepts and commands.

We Maintain a Heart of Repentance

The first words Jesus preached in his public ministry were, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17 ESV). Repentance in relation to salvation happens when a person turns from a life of self-seeking and receives salvation in Jesus Christ. Repentance is also vital for all Christians as we learn the Scriptures and harmonize our conduct with its precepts and commandments. We are committed to:

  • Agreeing with the Scriptures, and when necessary, changing our way of thinking.
  • Agreeing with the Scriptures, and when necessary, changing our way of living.

Substantive change rarely happens in an instant, but is a process. We do not expect perfection from people. Rather, we desire for every person to commit to the authority of the Scriptures, allowing the Scriptures to govern our way of thinking and prescribe what it means to live with Christ-like character.

We Aim to Honor Christ in Everything

Love is the supreme ethic, and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 perfectly embodies its characteristics: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

  • We aim to be patient with others, especially in difficult situations.
  • We aim to show kindness to all people, regardless of their worldview.
  • We aim to walk in humility with a servant heart.
  • We aim to speak the truth in love and with grace.
  • We aim to believe the best about other people.
  • We aim to be faithful, honoring our commitments
  • We aim to lead people to life in relationship with Jesus Christ.

Conduct that honors Christ requires that we refrain from speech, behavior, and actions that grieve the Holy Spirit, harm others, and undermine our Christian witness. We commit ourselves to refraining from the following:

  • Slander, profanity, and crude speech
  • Recreational drug use and/or drunkenness
  • Sexual immorality (including sexual activity outside marriage and pornography)
  • Inappropriate social media posts
  • All forms of harassment
  • Behavior that causes other followers of Christ to stumble in their faith

Correction, Accountability, and Restoration

In the event that one lapses into a sinful lifestyle, that individual is expected to report the details to a pastoral overseer. The pastoral overseer will evaluate the situation, work with the individual, and develop a restoration plan. Depending on the severity of the situation, appropriate action may include any of the following:

  • Ongoing pastoral counseling
  • Plan for structured accountability
  • Probation or temporary suspension from Reach College
  • Permanent removal from Reach College, etc.

Correction has two primary objectives: 1) Restore an individual to a right relationship with God (Gal. 6:1), and 2) Protect individuals from harmful and/or dangerous conduct.

The Reach Code of Conduct affirms that, while no Christian is perfect, we are committed to a lifestyle that aims to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.